‘Basically Saved the Second Season’ HBO’s The Last of Us Fans Aren’t Happy One Actor Was Snubbed for an Emmy

Even though The Last of Us season 2 may have divided most of its fanbase, the controversy seemingly didn't translate over to the Emmys, as the series was clearly a big smash hit with Academy voters. However, many fans of HBO's adaptation of the Naughty Dog sequel aren't too pleased that one actor from the returning series was snubbed for a nomination, even though some felt that they had actually saved season 2 from being worse than it was.

Applauded for its game-like environmental settings, incredibly heartfelt acting and becoming the second-most-watched HBO premiere of the past decade, which gained an impressive 5.7 million viewers, season 2 of Naughty Dog's adaptation still had some mixed reactions from fans of both the show and the gaming sequel, which saw The Last of Us season 2 finale suffer a huge decline in viewership compared to season one. While the show's third installment is in production, although not yet filming, fans hope that the initially compelling adaptation will ramp up its storytelling for Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) as its narrative continues with her side of events. While the second season of The Last of Us earned fewer nominations than season one's 24, season 2 still earned a fantastic 16 nominations at the Emmys, but fans feel like one obvious star was clearly missing from the list.

Last of Us Fans Think That Isabela Merced Should Have Been Nominated at the Emmys

Over on Reddit, The Last of Us fans have been getting into a debate about Isabela Merced, who plays Dina in the second season, and their disappointment at how she wasn't nominated at the Emmys, especially since some believe she was the best part of season 2. "Isabela Merced to me was one of the highlights of Season 2. I would expect at least that she would be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Pedro Pascal, Kaitlyn Dever were nominated for an Emmy when they only appeared in two to three episodes, yet Isabela Merced appeared in six out of seven episodes. She did so well, and she doesn't even get nominated," said poster coffeetalkcafe.

While Pascal’s performance was widely praised, as well as being a much-loved character in season one, Joel had very limited screen time and only appeared in four out of season 2's seven episodes, while Kaitlyn Dever received a Guest Actress Nomination for her role as Abby Anderson and only had a couple of scenes dotted throughout. "She basically saved the second season from being almost unwatchable. The fact that she didn’t get nominated along with everyone else is ridiculous," said one commenter in response to Merced's zero nominations, while another expressed, "Her time will come, as she's a damn fine, versatile actor."

However, not everyone was rushing to Merced's defense, with some criticizing the actor for looking "too polished" in a post-apocalyptic setting and also finding her performance "mediocre," but blaming this on showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's confusing and rushed narrative. With Neil Druckmann having since stepped down from the series to focus on his gaming endeavors, there are some worries about whether season 3 can match its stellar debut season or if it's now on a slippery slope.